Assassinated Beauty at Proud Camden

From November 2014, Proud Camden presents Assassinated Beauty; a collection of iconic photographs of the most iconoclastic band of the late twentieth century, Manic Street Preachers. The exhibition will mark the launch of Kevin Cummins’ latest book and captures the essence of a band that understood and manipulated androgynous and decadent imagery.

In the early nineties the Manics exploded onto a British music scene at the peak of rave and acid house. These disaffected and fiercely political young men from the Welsh valleys redefined a new-era by experimenting with alternative glam-rock music. Seminal music photographer Kevin Cummins was ideally placed to capture the essence of the band in their most uncompromising, glam-fixated early years. Cummins first met the Manics on a shoot for NME in Paris in 1992. He went on to photograph not only their first cover of the magazine but also captured the band in their rise to fame. The exhibition documents the period just before the release of Generation Terrorists in 1992 up to Holy Bible in 1994 and the subsequent disappearance of guitarist and lyricist, Richey Edwards. It includes never seen before photographs of the band on and off stage alongside studio shots while they were recording their early singles Motown Junk, You Love Us and Stay Beautiful.

Proud Camden is thrilled to bring you Assassinated Beauty, a unique collection of photographs that shows the Manic Street Preachers whilst at their creative zenith. This is the definitive portrait of one of the last great British rock ‘n’ roll bands.